The Last Stand of the 44th Foot Regiment | Battle of Gandamak 1842
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- čas přidán 26. 07. 2024
- The Last Stand of the 44th Foot Regiment
Battle of Gandamak 1842
The Battle of Gandamaka 1842
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On the morning of the 13th January 1842, 20 officers and 45 Europeans (mainly from the 44th Foot Regiment) made their way to a rocky outcrop and made their last stand near Gandamak, Afghanistan.
They were all that remained of a column of 4,500 British and Indian soldiers, and 12,000 civilian refugees that had fled Kabul a week earlier trying to reach the safety of Peshawar, 280 miles to the east.
The last stand of the 44th foot regiment at the Battle of Gandamak (battle of Gandamaka / battle of Gundamak) was the calamitous end result of the first Anglo-Afghan war.
During the 19th century the british in India became obsessed that the Russians (who were expanding their own empire through central Asia) had designs on India itself.
Throughout the 19th century the two powers played a game of intrigue and espionage (backed up with military force) to control the states between their two empires - it became known as the “Great Game”.
This provided the background for the First Anglo Afghan war.Intent on replacing the ruler of Afghanistan with one who was more pro-British, they invaded and swiftly occupied the capital, Kabul.
That was the easy bit. Afghans adopted a guerrilla war against the British and eventually in early January 1842, the British decided to withdraw back into India.
The retreat from Kabul was a shambles that became a calamity.
By the 13th January the retreating British column of 4,500 soldiers and 12,000 civilians had been reduced to the men of the 44th Foot regiment making their last stand at Gandamak.
9 British soldiers survived the Battle of Gandamak (also known as the Battle of Gandamaka).
In the history of last stands, it ranks right up there and was immortalised in the Victorian painting “The Last Stand at Gundamuck” by William Barnes Wollen.Interestingly, he only painted the painting in 1898, over 50 years after the battle.
#battleofgandamak #battleofgandamaka #firstangloafghanwar
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:42 British Invasion of Afghanistan 1839
2:57 Occupation Goes Wrong
4:19 General Elphinstone
6:20 British retreat
8:49 From Bad to Worse
11:00 Last Stand at Gandamak
12:26 Lone Survivor
14:18 History Repeats Itself
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My name is Chris Green ("The History Chap") and I am on a mission to share the amazing history of Britain so that we can appreciate where we have come from and why we are here.
History should not be stuffy or a long list of dates or kings & queens.
So rather than lectures or CZcams animations, I tell stories that bring the past to life.
My aim is to be chat as if I were having a coffee or meal with you. Jean in Maryland, USA recently wrote: "Chris, is the history teacher I wish I had at school!"
Just for the record, I do have a history degree and continue to have a passion for the subject I studied.
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Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Chris Green Communication Ltd t/a The History Chap. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Chris Green Communication Ltd does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
I spent 7 years working in Afghanistan flying a helicopter supporting the US army and its allies there. I have flown down through the pass just east of Kabul and the valleys going to Jalalabad. One of the other pilots I flew with was a historian about the British empire, and he explained about the British retreat east of Kabul. He also pointed out the various outpost along the old route 1 between Kandahar and because that was about a days travel time in those days.
Thanks for sharing.
Very interesting, I was flying fixed-wing, moving SF guys around, based at Vance at Bagram. We did often fly the gorge between Bamyan along to Herat.. pretty spectacular.. that famous gorge you refer to was too narrow for us ! Switched to ISR work with L3 but not nearly as interesting. Well done !
Wow!
nice one
well what we can take from this is, if your gonna take afghanistan, send michael cane and sean connery .
Priceless! Thank you.
"The Man Who Would be King" by Rudyard Kipling.
Or Richard Sharpe ......
And a company of Gurkhas!!
Don't forget Christopher Plummer.
History turns full circle in 175 years. For leaving the artillery read leaving vast quantities of material, aircraft/helicopters & vehicles.
History has a knack of repeating itself doesn’t it?
Regarding the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980's, there is a terrific film called The Beast/ The Beast Of War (1988). It follows a Russian tank crew who get lost in the desert canyons and are pursued by Mujahedeen, determined to avenge the massacre of an Afghan village. Can't recommend it enough.
Thank you for sharing.
One of the best war films imo.
A great film on a par with Das Boot.
The Beast truly doesn't get enough recognition. The actors playing the Afghans are not actual Afghans and are but mostly Israeli (the film was shot in Israel) and don't speak any English in the movie. The decision to have the Russians played by American actors speaking in their natural American accents also gives a weird juxtaposition to the audience, since the foreign speaking Afghans are supposed to be the good guys versus the American English speaking Russians who in the opening scene massacre a whole village. An American viewer would find themselves naturally drawn to identify with the Russian tank crew but then remember that it is the Russians who started this beef with the very foreign Afghans who are simply trying to avenge the massacred village.
thanks for that
There is a Canadian film starring the terrific actor Paul Gross called Hyena Road. In it he describes Afghanistan thus; *Alexander’s mother Olympias wrote him a letter once, getting on his case for taking so long to knock off these primitive, poverty-stricken Afghans. So Alexander captured three tribal chiefs and sent them back to Macedonia, each one carrying an offering of soil from his own tribal homeland; they were supposed to deliver these tokens to Olympias as a gift from her son. But waiting outside the queen’s palace door, the three chiefs got into a fight and killed one another. Alexander’s Mom wrote back: ‘Now I understand, my son.’*
(except from Kipling’s ‘The Young British Soldier’)
When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An' go to your Gawd like a soldier.
Thanks for taking the time to share.
Your quote from Kipling makes me wonder whether I should do a talk about him.
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@@TheHistoryChap Makes me wonder whether I should do a talk about [Kipling]. Yes! Please do!
@@TheHistoryChap please do something on kipling👍👍
That's a banging film .
And finally, bring them into your own home land. Peace be unto you
“Flashman” gives an excellent version of this.
He does indeed
During Soviet invasion, I read an article stating that some Afghans assumed it was the British again! They remember their history just as we do and, I daresay, are just as proud of it and rightly so.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing.
If I remember how it was described in the UK at the time:-
The Russians had arranged to deliver new tanks and remove the old ones as scrap. So they were all lined up at the exchange point, the Russians brought new tanks and removed the old ones but the tank crews remained Russian soldiers.
Or something like that, a trick to let their military in without a fight.
there was no Soviet invasion.Rather the USSR was asked for assistance by the Afghan Govt which offered the CIA an opportunity to do what it does best,stir up trouble.Its important to be accurate esp in times when Russias right of preemption in Ukraine is so easily swept under the carpet
I recall a quote from somewhere ; The Afgani people are not at peace, unless they are at war.....
Seems very true.
Excellent thanks for explaining.
Are you an academic? Or a amateur historian?
Your very good .
“The army of retribution to punish the Afghans for defending their homeland”
Put perfectly 👏👏👏👏👏
Whilst I don't label myself as an academic, I do have an honours degree in History from the University of Birmingham.
I've been fascinated by the history of our 19th century military history since I began reading the 'Flashman' series by George MacDonald Fraser back in the 70s. Then, having spent a couple of years flying aid work in Africa I got a posting to Afghanistan ! Bloody fantastic, I started my flying there in January 2005 with the snow heavy over Kabul and the passes that the retreat of the army would have had to walk through.. Had the opportunity to climb up through the snow to the Bala Hisar.. drove much of the road through the passes to Jalalabad where 14000 people struggled and died, . Had no idea when arriving in the country that the last ten years of my flying career would be based in Afghanistan..I've flown, driven and walked over almost all of it.. and survived..retired finally in 2016.. what a country.. I miss it.A very large print of the painting depicted at the top now has pride of place in my study.
James, thank you for taking the time to share your experiences.
I've never been to Afghanistan but travelled in the tribal areas of Pakistan a long time ago.
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Very interesting. My brother and I wargames this period along with the Zula war and Susan campaigns. Very enjoyable playing with miniature soldiers re-creating the battles of old. Very interesting part of British military History.
Flashman novels are what stoked my interest in Victorian era British military hstory as well and Chris does an excellent job telliing the real stories
Eventually what happened to the hostages ?
Thanks, I read the Flahsman book about the retreat from Kabul in about 1981. I had just emigrated from London to Australia to look for oil and gas, I read it while on a motorcycle trip up the east coast of NSW from Sydney staying in old pubs, eg by sugar fields. Very romantic, loved it. Then went on to read more of that series.
Thank you for your well researched comments. I had read in more than one account that Elphinstone was never heard of again after he gave himself up but you have provided a more convincing outcome. I look forward to your future segments.
I’m tickled by the Sharpe’s. Reference. Most enjoyable, thank you sir.
Glad you enjoyed it.
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I've driven that route from Kabul to Peshawar a couple of times (in the 19702). It is is incredubly rugged, even on sealed roads. Kabul Gorge is magnificent, but for foot soliders on dirt roads encumbered by a baggage train, it must have been a nightmare. We stopped for tea at Gandamak.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
The East India Company sepoys marched barefoot.
@@johnwright9372any source?
Thank you for today's show... Great presentation 👏
No, thank you for watching.
Best wishes,
Chris
czcams.com/users/TheHistoryChap
I commend to you the Journal of the Disaster by Lady Florentia Sale, whose husband commanded the Jellalabad garrison, and who was captured on the retreat from Kabul. I suspect that the comment about "if only the army were commanded by the memsahibs" refers to her. Alongside Fanny Duberley's account of the Crimea and Harriet Tytler's mutiny memoir, it is the best female first-hand account of the the C19th army at war - she also features quite prominently in George Macdonald Fraser's Flashman, mentioned below. As aside, I should also mention that 15 years after surviving the retreat from Kabul, Dr Brydon went right through the siege of Lucknow in the Mutiny.
Thanks, Chris.
I think some of these Victorian women were formidable characters who have often been overlooked.
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If she's who I think she is she got her thigh shattered by a jezzail bullet.
Was Lady Sale's book the one you quoted "if only the army were commanded by the memsahibs" from?
Great video… history repeating itself!
Unfortunately it does seem to.
Indeed. “Now serving number 11…!“ It’s called ‘The Graveyard of Empires’ for a reason...
Here are some who tried- & failed!- for 25 centuries before the USA: The Maurya Empire of ancient India; Alexander the Great of Macedon; Umar, an Arab Caliphate; Genghis Khan of Mongolia; Timur of Persia and Central Asia; the Mughal Empire of India; various Persian Empires; the British Empire, the Sikh Empire; & the Soviet Union.
I think you hit the nail right on the head with that statement oh, it is easy to find a way into an Afghanistan but it is hard to find a way out of there. It seems like nobody can learn their lesson, why we are all so stupid I have no idea?
You would think us Brits would have been aware of the history.
When i was a young lad , I read a book on the Retreat from Kabul - and I marvelled at the continued allowed stupidity of Elphinstone who made every decision that would materially destroy the force he commanded like a morbid death wish
Great Video Chap!
Thank you for watching.
Here's my brand new video:
czcams.com/video/C-LXRavNbLU/video.html
Well, Fella, I was interested to just now watch your talk on the Retreat from Kabul - history not remembered much but very relevant to a place so wild & long-time ungovernable (except, I guess, by traditional/local practices). Not long ago I saw for the first time the portrait of 'The 44th at Gandamak'. I was struck by the appearance of the soldiers - tired, not doubt cold & hungry + far, far away from home etc - & the look in their eyes, like 'This is IT & we're going to die here ...'. Very moving & for me probably one of the greatest examples of real military portraiture ever made. Thanks for your comments & insight into a long-forgotten tragedy - go well.
Mark, thanks for taking the time to comment. I'm glad you enjoyed my video.
Excellent video. Enjoyed very much.
Glad you enjoyed it
Thanks I have that Paining on my Living room wall, as now a Veteran of the Pompadours.
Enjoyed subed
Great painting.
Another insightful video on a fascinating topic, thank you.
My pleasure. Glad you enjoyed it.
Well done, thank you. My original introduction to this campaign was many years ago through the reading of the novel by George McDonald Frazier, "Flashman". I have read all of Frazier's works and have been not only entertained but educated as to the history of the British Empire's subjugation of the global population, which has only been surpassed by the modern foreign policies of my own dear country of America. From what I have read, and I have seen in my days, it does not seem to be the wisest path for nations that have superior technologies to subjugate nations that are somewhat less technological, for in the end, what is right remains right, and karma IS a bitch. Well done again sir, thank you for your excellent work!
You can’t beat a bit of Flashman
So, you're telling me that in the past, an old, inept leader made decisions that resulted in a powerful army suffering the loss of men, as well as equipment to the enemy forces?
Why is this so familiar in 2023?
History has a way of repeating itself...and we don't learn from history enough.
Very well done , would not have been a good day out to fight on that day, kind regards roy Bennett from Wollongong Australia
Thank you for watching
I find the British Army in Afghanistan during the 1800s interesting. I have served there with the British Army around Kabul and the surrounding areas as well as other parts of the country and recognise some of the place names you mentioned. Please can you do more about the Afghanistan campaign 🙏
Yes, I will do. Watch this space.
History repeats itself. Thanks for this narration Sir. God Bless you.
It does have a habit of repeating itself.
Wonderful and so well told
Many thanks. Glad you are enjoying them.
You are the BEST history teller /teacher / professor on YT. I am a very satisfied patreon supporter.
Leonidas, thanks for your support.
Chris
Actually the Brits played the Great Game very well. They went back with a punitive expedition and kicked butt and installed an Afghan that was friendly. You don't have to occupy to get the desired results, just be a viable threat.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Yeah that really happened but only in you're dreams
@@scscscscscdcd Whose dreams?
@@scscscscscdcd l suggest you pick up a history book . The 2nd Anglo Afghan war saw the British instal a more amicable King in Kabul , after which Afghanistan became a British protectorate until 1919 .
@@scscscscscdcdeven first Anglo Afghan war was won by Indian sepoys of British army.. remember they stayed in Afghanistan for 3 years and the 2/3rd of troops left and only then did the Afghans dared to attack the British garissions .
Very nice video
Thanks
They don't call this place The Grave of Empires for nothing.
Indeed. Thanks for commenting.
The British Empire decisively conquered Afghanistan in the second Anglo Afghan War.
This was so interesting thank you from New Zealand
Terry, thanks for watching.
The best perfomance of the Kabul retreat I ever saw.
Glad you found it interesting
Yet again I find myself rapt for 16 minutes and change. Bravo, sir.
many thanks.
Afghanistan is known as the Graveyard of Empires. But every so often a new challenger thinks "it will be different this time".
Indeed. Thank you for taking the time to post your comment.
What was his reasoning, to leave the city in the harsh winter with so many civilians and few supplies. He (maybe) had better chances just to stay in his place till Spring, endure siege in an advantageous place, and make a retreat with a coordinated rescue column meeting them from India.
The Base the Army had moved into was not defendable and hopelessly compromised and isolated and was one of the factors leading to the decision to withdraw. Also, The main Political Officers were all dead and their much-needed advice was missing at a crucial point in time! The parsimony of the Company undermined the whole venture anyway!
I often like the history and people of Afghanistan or Central Asia in general. Unforgiving landscapes but rich in history, culture and the kindness that Afghans show to foreigners but I wouldn’t want to invade the country because the people are not afraid to go to war to protect their home.
Thanks for taking the time to comment
Thanks! I'm not sure anyone could have got them out....
That's the problem with going into Afghanistan...as Field Marshall Lord Roberts said.
Have you read the Flashman papers? Flashman's early years tell some harrowing stories of Afghanistan. I'm slowly catching up and enjoying all of your videos and now have my dad watching them as well.
Flashman is always a good perspective.
@@TheHistoryChap I must admit to getting most of my Victorian history knowledge from The Bloody Lance, Flashman. ;)
@@davidwhite6479 You know he wasn't real?
@@tooyoungtobeold8756 I'm a Flashman aficionado :) George MacDonald Fraser did say that Flashman (the original character in Thomas Hughes' Tom Brown's School Days) was based on a real person and claimed to have identified him but kept that identity to himself out of respect for his living descendants.
An interesting and informative book on this is _The Great Game_ by Peter Hopkirk.
It is indeed. Thanks for sharing.
Indeed. Have you perhaps had the opportunity to enjoy the picture about the great game, Kim, starring a young Dean Stockwell of quantum leap fame? One of my favorites from the 50s, right behind Bogey’s “We’re no angels“. 😃
I was in The Light Infantry one of our regimental marches is " Jalalabad " so l knew a little bit of our Regiments Victorian era history ... it was history sort of repeating itself when more recently the name Jalalabad was mentioned in news bulletins when we once again were in that area after 911.
Funny how history repeats itself
@@TheHistoryChap isn't it just ..another march is " Secundrabad " but l believe that is situated within what was then India .
"Flashman" by George Macdonald Fraser brought me here.
Thanks for watching.
The chapel in Warley (Brentwood) has lots of paintings and relics from this.
For the Yanks, that's Brentwood Essex, UK, not Brentwood California.
Thanks for sharing.
You should also visit the old Garrison Church at what used to be WarleyBarracks.(Now Ford's HQ)The lynch gate is particularly interesting.
Michael Mayo of Great Warley.
That painting of Gandamak is one of my favorites.
It is impressive.
In the late 70s my Mother decided to do a world trip and ended up in Afghanistan and went to the site of the 44th's last stand, she noted that their bones were still visible on the battlefield!
I pass through there alot and she probably meant it as a metaphor
@@masihullahmatin7350The bones of the fallen were apparently still quite visible in the 70's.
As Kipling noted, "When you're wounded and lying on Afghanistan's plains ..."
He was so correct!
By the way, if you enjoyed my story then please make sure to subscribe for future videos.
czcams.com/users/TheHistoryChap
This report is really masterful. Thanks so much. And the comparison of Elphinstone to Simmerson made me smile! The only thing that I'd say was a bit misleading was the maps showing the modern outline of Afghanistan. At the time, much of central Asia was Terra Incognita. The Wakhan Corridor wasn't defined until the 1890s. Anyway, thanks again. I learned and I was entertained!
Glad you enjoyed.
British forces have been sent on Imperialist adventures to Afgan on several occasions over the last couple of centuries. The last one just recently..
They all ended the same way..
"You can achieve great gains with bayonets... but you can't sit on them"
Napoleon Bonapart.
Thank you for taking the time to comment.
I found new history channel now i can learn more about war history
I’m glad that you enjoyed my story.
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@@TheHistoryChap Ok imma subscribe
READ
@@peterjohnson617 Watch
I also am pleased to have discovered this channel. I think perhaps, like me, you might enjoy his equivalent from across the pond in the states; the history guy. He also did a piece about this misadventure… czcams.com/video/jtT7Z9QpMgU/video.html
And it gave us the tale of the heroics (sic) of Harry Flashman!!!!!!
That’s a great book indeed! As all the others of Harry Flashman
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Glory and Honour.
Thanks for watching and for commenting.
The chap stutters when he talk about the flag! I think he wants say Flashman😂😂👍
5:50
Alexander Burns: important history
The Russians were very afraid to go into Central Asia.
Alexander Burns explored and mapped the area. He published a book 📖.
That book was translated into many languages including Russian.
The Russians used that book 📖 to conquer Central Asia and right up to Afghanistan.
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.
I believe Alexander was related to Robert the poet
Bukhara Burns - a great book.
This was also described in Saul David’s “Military Blunders” as Elphinston aka Elphey Bey’s Afghan retreat.
Thanks for sharing. It is one of many books in my collection.
@@TheHistoryChap In 1993 I came back from visiting England, bringing home a load of military books. In Switzerland, such books were rare but in Britain every bookshop had a great war book section. I still have them, including “Famous Land Battles” by Humble and Great Military Leaders. Unfortunately my University wasn’t great in Military History at all. Finished my degree about the Thirty Years War and the Civil War though. CZcams is finally filling the gap included Your channel among others.
When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An' go to your Gawd like a soldier.
Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
So-oldier of the Queen!
Rudyard Kipling, "The Young British Soldier"
Thanks for sharing.
I also read that the Afghans were mad at the British because some of them were having relationships with some of the local Afghan women.
Now that would add some anger.
One of the most amazing stories I have heard from this time was , just at the time in the very early 1900s ,2 old ladies walked into British Embassy in Kabul .They said they were British and just wanted to speak to someone from Britain . The 2 ladies had been captured during this retreat when young children and had been brought up as Afghans ! What a story they could tell . They were never seen again .
Fascinating. Thanks for sharing
They were lucky . All those that weren't taken hostage were slaughtered . Horrible things were done to them , even the children.
Would be interested to see the latest chapter in The Graveyard that is Afghanistan, in one of your upcoming videos.
Bit too recent when I have so many other history stories to cover, but thanks for the suggestion.
@@TheHistoryChap Fair enough. Plus, perhaps a little too sensitive/roar at this moment. Will take years to fully digest the dogs breakfast that was the latest Withdrawal.
To be fair to the Afghans McNaughton was planning on capturing and executing the Emir at the meeting as well so basically his double cross was double crossed lol.
It was a murky old world.
Very interesting, but i think it's worth bearing in mind that it wasn't as big a military defeat as it is popularly made out to be. It wasn't the Army of the Indus that was retreating, it was just the garrison. The overwhelming majority of the 12 to 16 thousand hapless victims were civilian camp followers; many of them Indian women and children. The actual soldiery weren't that many. The Army of the Indus had left earlier (as he points out). One might wonder at how events would have transpired had these trained regiments not departed. For sure, British forces would not have been so hopelessly outnumbered and the Afghan forces would most probably not have been victorious; had they indeed turned up at all. As it went, just a few thousand soldiers of the garrison put up a good fight, but were simply outnumbered and picked off. Was it a bad political decision to trust the Afghan promises of safe passage to Peshawar? Er, yeah.
The real fight came the following year. The Army of Retribution under generals Grant and Pollock returned, pincering via Kandahar/Gazhni and Jalalabad. With an army in the field, there was no question of military disaster this time. The Afghans were summarily defeated and, as title denotes, retribution did follow.
As for reasons why... it was of course, the era of the Great Game where Russia was busy gobbling up central Asian possessions. It made sense to suspect Russian designs on Afghanistan (and further?) simply because that is what they had been doing. And a century later in 1979 they eventually did just that! I guess we can just never know when that old bear will suddenly up and invade someone, can we? For my money, hats off to the soldiers of the garrison. They acquitted themselves well.
Thank you for taking the time to write your in-depth comment
Britain only wins on the basis of superior weaponry and by being caniving, we all know gun to gun the stronger hearts are victorious, and you were nothing but invading aliens as you are today... we don't care for your patriotism as you are the invading party, and as your stock love to say F off back to your country mate
I have a question Chris, very similar to the one I asked re the Light Brigade in the Crimea. If there was a British infantry regiment and an East India Company white infantry regiment, how were there only 690 whites? When you say "regiment" do you mean the whole battalion = colours or just some companies? I asked this too re the Light Brigade video because you mentioned five regiments in the brigade and yet only 600 men.
Boris Bey is the modern version. Frazer would be spinning in his grave to see what "Great" Britain has come to.
Thanks for taking the time to post your comment.
Not just poor military strategy, but poor diplomacy. It seems likely that the Afghans didn't want the Russians in control just as much as the British didn't want the Russians invading Afghanistan. They could've politely asked if the Afghans would like any help and them just leave once the job was done rather than an outright take over.
Fair point.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Yes .... George Dubya obviously didn't read history. What was Blair's excuse?
@@michellebrown4903 Money Money and even more!
@@michellebrown4903 Sunni islamic fundamentalist groups declaring a terror war on western civilisation after 9/11. The "war on terror" as it became known, which the west has now won as no major terror attacks on the west since leaving afghanistan. Obama when president said it would take 20 years to win it.
It is difficult to credit that Someone like Elphinstone would have been permitted to command the loyal and undeserving personnel; squandering their gallant lives and resources. Thanks to this video I will read as much about it as possible in order to improve my own abilities to lead.
Glad you found it interesting and please do subscribe to my channel
I'm just glad Harry Flashman made it out alive.
Otherwise there would have been no more Flashman stories 😆
Fairly sure I've seen the original of that painting... It is in the barracks in Springfield, Chelmsford, Essex.
Thanks for the interesting comment.
Could you please do a video on Peterloo...or would you consider this social history rather than military history?
Nick, great idea and also a great question. I guess most people would argue that it is social history because it was a protest that was attacked (rather than an armed rebellion such as the Newport Rising). However, there is enough of a blurred line for me to include it in my ever-growing list.
I've read this book it's fascinating well spoken though 👍
Many thanks.
@@TheHistoryChap your channel is very good but hey I see the English are never recognised by colonised country's for the good they did you name any country we are looked down on I just don't get it they wouldn't be there if it wasn't for the English how about a bit of respect for a change sorry for dragging on
Who says history doesn't repeat it self
Thanks for commenting
That’s why a British poet described Afghanistan as a bleeding chalice and Graveyard of Empires! K
It certainly has been.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
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What an inglorious story, but oh, how I love your storytelling style 😊
Thank you. Merry Christmas.
As Wellington described it, its easy to go in in Afghanistan the problem is how to go out!
I used that very quote in my video.
15:29
Oddly enough, the British territories didn't border Afghanistan. They got safe passage through the 'Sikh Empire '
So , the British invaded and destroyed the Sikh Empire next.
Thinking about doing a video about those wars.
The Sikhs wanted the British to invade Afghanistan, it was in their personal interest. They were supposed to join the British but did not.
As far as the British Empire conquering the Sikh Empire, it were the Sikhs, after the death of King Ranjit Singh, who invaded the British Empire.
@@mudra5114 fairy 🧚♀️ story
@@beachboy0505 Nope, true.
When you're military commander is compared to Sir Henry Simmerson from Sharpe, you know you are in trouble. I can hardly think of a worse person to be compared to it you're a commander!
Ha ha, I knew people would enjoy that line.
I am Afghani I live in Pakistan when I was going to Afghanistan I was humiliating by Taliban US troop even their national army .but I still love
Thank you for taking the time to comment.
دا د ی سه غول باد کرل
George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman covers this. He is not kind to MacNaughton and Elphistone.
But Flashman had it covered
What a horrible situation and I think this situation could've had a different outcome...
Thanks for taking the time to comment
Do a video about the Battle of Jellalabad
Thanks Mark. I have added to my list after your comment on the Zulu War video.
Not a bad summation, but a couple of important points missed. The Army camped outside Kabul about a mile from their supply base. This was captured by the Afghans, and an attempt to retake it failed miserably. Additionally the best General present, Fighting Bob Sale, was sent to clear the pass. He fought successfully through, but it just closed up again behind him. He was thus unavailable to be the vanguard of the retreat. The officers who 'rode ahead,' were deserters. Had they survived they should have been court marshalled. Finally, Dr Brydon later survived the siege of Lucknow during the Indian Mutiny,
My Son served in Kabul 2011-2012 with the 3PPCLI battle group.
Jay, thanks for sharing your knowledge. Appreciated.
America, Russia and Britain have made some last stands in Afghanistan… along with a slew of other great powers in history
Thanks for sharing
Flashy and Hudson were there!
You are on a roll...
Captain Thomas Souter of the 44th Regiment of Foot (Essex Regiment) was my great-great-grandfather!
Awesome! The best I seem to have in my family tree is a comedian in a West End show!
The “poor military leadership” aspect was probably also to a large extent the leadership who appointed Elphinstone in the first place. It seemed to rather underestimate the problems and dangers of such a campaign, to appoint a semi retired Marshall who had only come back to try and pay off his personal debts. They needed someone who could do the serious heavy lifting of strategic planning
Good insight
@@TheHistoryChap thank you sir
LONG LIVE THE 44TH
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@@TheHistoryChap Loved the video, shame what happens when the army calls someone like that back into command. I'll be sure to check out your other videos!
The more things change the more they stay the same.
History is more of a circle than a straight line.
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Afghanistan is one helluva place to campaign in. For the different powers that have come there, it's too fractured, too remote, too rugged terrain, too far from their bases of power.
For Alexander the Great it was very tough region to campaign in and it was pushing the limits of his army who was far from home.
The British Empire at its height had trouble here, even though it could use India as a jump off point.
The might of the USSR had trouble here with the Soviet-Afghan War, and IIRC, the costs of this war helped break the back of the Soviet Union. For 10 years the USSR was bleeding there.
The United States was in there for decades, poured a lot of troops, time, money, and now it's gone and the government it tried to set up there collapsed. It has been the most distant place the US has ever sent its troops to see combat. South Asia has historically, simply been a place where the United States has no presence in.
The people are also fractured themselves with the focus on tribes. Hard, mountainous terrain to go with it.
Anyways, you Europeans used to be real crazy about all these "Wars of Empire" for the 1700s and 1800s. If the different European imperial powers weren't fighting each other, then they were fighting with the locals in some godforsaken place far from France, Britain, etc. The amount of conflict that Europe used to engage it during those 2 centuries was to me, pretty crazy.
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The British Empire decisively conquered Afghanistan in the second Anglo Afghan War.
I was in Desert Storm and spent 3 years in the Middle East. I have often wondered if that area has seen more wars than any other. It seems there is always some kind of bloodshed for one reason or another.
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You were exactly right in surmising that those regions are prone to incessant bloodshed. It is believed that they wished to have murder considered an Olympic sport.
Wow I served for a long time we did Military History and Orentation for service explaining why we where in different country's over the many years.
@@josephdowling3745 what a load of s**t. We kill far more than they do lol
Read "Flashman" by George MacDonald Frasier for the "real" version.
It’s a great story
They don't call Afghanistan the graveyard of empires for nothing
Absolutely.
When we went in this last time my dad (a veteran) said "you can't blame the yanks, they haven't been there before. But surely we know better!"
@@TheHistoryChap I'm a vet of Afghanistan myself and your dad's right sad to say tho where the yanks go we go we should know better but an amazing video once again you do fantastic work
The British Empire decisively conquered Afghanistan in the second Anglo Afghan War.
@@mudra5114 we had our worst defeats in Afghanistan in the kybur pass one man survived to tell the tale
@@welshman8954 Not so in the Second Anglo Afghan War where the British Empire flattened the place and attained supreme domination.
The Brits were the superpower in the 1840s, the Sovs in the 1980s, how did the US and NATO really think they were going to do any thing different? 😒 There was a second survivor of the retreat, Harry Flashman. 😀
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We should have pulled out when the yanks killed Bin Laden. Tell the world we did what we set out to do in supporting the US while they went after the bloke that masterminded 9/11, and then not go down with the inevitable sinking ship that comes from trying to hold Afghanistan
Harry Flashman was lucky to survive this one.
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Great presentation as always. I guess the British forgot that Muslim treaties and agreements with "unbelievers" are worthless.
Thanks for taking the time to comment with that idea.
As a Bonapartist, I've never been able to enjoy the Sharpe series.😜
I bet 😂
Explain
Major General Elphinstone wasn't fit to command due to his age, he also had gout & piles. He was unable to ride his horse & had to be carried on a litter. The Sepoy troops were still wearing Summer uniforms & many suffered from frostbite & hypothermia.I also don't think he had led anything larger than a battalion in the field. A sick old man out of his depth.
James, thanks for taking the time to provide that analysis.
Elphinstone's age has got zip to with it - he was 60, at which age most people are fit and healthy and holding down a full-time job. The problems with Elphinstone were that he was incompetent and ill and should never have been appointed. His subordinates should obviously have over-ruled him before he brought disaster upon them, but didn't have the guts to do it.
typo - "..got zip to do with it.."
What is that saying about Afghanistan? The destroyer of empires.
Isn't it just!
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The British Empire decisively conquered Afghanistan in the second Anglo Afghan War.
Do one of Roberts counter-attack. And never, ever, trust an Afghan ruler's word.
Roberts and Britain's Afghan wars coming soon. Please subscribe so you don't miss out.
What a tragedy.
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Hi friends , I don’t know if they are still there but traveling through the Kyber Pas in the later 60s , I noticed carved onto large boulders by the side of the road , the emblems of British Army Battalions . I don’t know when they were carved but it must have been ,up till then ,from the 1800 .
You are correct.